Smoke box structure



Jan. 11, 1938. LE ROY THOMPSON 2,104,958

SMOKE BOX STRUCTURE Filed Feb. 10, 1937 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ATTORN EYE Jan. 11, 1938. LE RQY THOMPSON 2,104,958

SMOKE BOX STRUCTURE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 NNNNNN OR TTORNEYB Jan. 11, 1938.

LE ROY THOMPSON 2,104,953

SMOKE BOX STRUCTURE Filed Feb. 10, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 VENTOR TTORNEYS Patented Jan. 11, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SMOKE BOX STRUCTURE Le Roy Thompson, Blakely, Ga.

Application February 10, 1937, Serial No. 125,030

3 Claims. (01. 230-97) This invention relates to locomotive structure, arrangement will be found illustrated in Letters and particularly to the structure of the smoke- Patent of the United States No. 1,683,455, granted box that is arranged, as ordinarily is the case, in to Guy T. Foster on September 4, 1928; and in the forward end of the locomotive. The object Letters Patent of the United States No. 1,331,845,

5 in view is the elimination of incandescent cinders granted to the said Foster on February 24, 1920, 5

' from the discharge of the smoke-stack, and the will be found a partition plate more closely apconsequent removal of fire hazard without in any proximating the .partitionplate 5 of the drawway impairing the efiiciency of the locomotive. ings of this application, although in the patent,

An embodiment of the invention isillustrated last named a feed-water heater is arranged in the in'the accompanying drawings. Fig. I is a view, smoke-box, and with a feed-water heater this 10 partly in section and partly in side elevation, invention is not now directly concerned.

of the forward portion of a locomotive, showing A bank of horizontal louvre plates 6 is arranged in entirety the smoke-box; Fig. II is a horizontal athwart the passageway beneath plate l0, immesection, on the plane indicated by the line II--II, diately to rearward of the forward edges of the Fig. I; Fig. I11 is a vertical section on the line bifurcated plate 5, and between the two bifurca- 15 IIIIII, Fig. I Fig. IV is a fragmentary view to tions, so that it is the united stream flowing from larger scale, showing in elevation a louvre plate front toward the rear that passes through the assembly; and Figs. V and VI are views in verbank of louvre plates. And the interval between tical section, illustrating modifications in the the curved bottom Wall of the smoke-box and the louvre-plate structure. bottom of the bank of louvre plates is closed by a 20 The smoke-box is essentially a cylindrical, segmental plate Hill. The louvre plates are" horizontally extending continuation of the boiler formed as shown. Each plate individually is wall. The boiler rflues open to the smoke-box formed of a section of angle-iron arranged angle from the rear of the smoke-box forwardly. The upward and with the two flanges BI and 62 smoke-box extends (Fig. I) from a rearplate I, to spreading downwardly and outwardly; and the 25 the left of which the boiler lies and through which assembly is such as is shown in Fig. IV; so that, theboiler flues extend,toafront wall 2. Asmokein vertical succession, the forward, downwardly stack 3 and an injection nozzle 4 are arranged in extending flange 6| of each superior louvre plate Vertical alignment in thetop and bottom of the overlaps the upper edge of the. corresponding smoke-box, and at an interval rearward from'the flange of the next lower louvre plate. In conse- 30 forward end of the smoke-box. A bifurcated, quence, the stream of products of combustion does vertically extending partition 5 (cf-Fig. II) exnot find at any point a straight-away course tends from the rear and on opposite sides of the through the bank of louvre plates, but must on aligned steam-nozzle and smoke-stack, toward every line of flow be directed against a louvrethe forward end of the smoke-box, and terminates plate face. Furthermore, the downward and for- 35 at an interval from the forward wall of the smokeward flange of each louvre plate cooperates with box. This partition extends between the bottom the downward and rearward extending flange of of the smoke-box and a properly disposed upper the next superior louvre plate, in that the portion plate and forms with the side walls of the smokeof the stream that may be deflected upward by 40 box a passageway for the stream of the products the upper face of the forward flange of e lower 40 of combustion forward from the rear end of the louvre plate will be directed against the nether smoke-box in bifurcated course adjacent the side surface of the rearward flange of thesuperior walls of the smoke-box to the forward edges of louvre plate. The bank of louvre plates is prefthe said partition. At the forwardends of the erably arranged in theoblique position shown in '45 partition, the passageway is continued, its Fig. I, tothe end that it shall stand in approxibranches merged in a central united passageway mately pe pe fi position With respect to that extends rearward again between the two stream flow, considering the facts that the pasbranches of the partition wall 5 to the ejector sageway around the front of the bifurcated partithat is constituted by the'nozzle 4 and the smoketion is of diminishing width upwardly, and that stack 3. A jet of spentsteam under pressure, the sweep of the stream (subject to the ejector. 50

' delivered from nozzle 4 axially upward through action through the smoke-stack) is obliquely upthe smoke-stack, sweeps the stream of the prodward in this portion of the line of flow. Near the nets of combustion out through the smoke-stack, bottom, however, accommodation is made. for a andis cooperative in establishing draft conditions more nearly horizontal rearward flow there, by

,55 @from; fire-box ,to smoke-stack.- Such a general disposing that portion of the bank of louvre plates in vertical position, and forming in the bank a bend not far above the bottom of the passageway. This is clearly illustrated in Fig. I, and requires no further description. Even though there be a dislocation of the individual louvre plates at the point where the bend is effected, the dislocation will not be such as to disturb the general arrangement and cooperation that have been described.

The proportions of the passageway thus formed for the flow of the products of combustion is such that a constriction is formed at a point where the branches of the stream turn around the forward edges of the bifurcated plate 5, and unite to flow rearwardly through the bank of louvre plates. I give actual figures of a specific illustration: The net area of the passageway from the boiler flues to the smoke-box is 1292 square inches; the net cross-sectional area of the bifurcated passageway from the rear to the front of the smoke- ,box is 1268 square inches; the net area of the two passageways taken together through which the branches of the bifurcated stream advance to reunion around the forward ends of the bifurcated partition is 819 square inches; and

flow), the contraction in the passageway.

The problem is the elimination of incandescent cinders. The stream of the products of combustion carries with it from the fire-box cinders that are incandescent, and that, but for preventive measures, may sweep through boiler flue, smokebox, and stack; and be thrown out and become a fire hazard to inflammable material adjacent the roadway. Considering the stream of products of combustion as it swirls around the forward edges of the bifurcated partition within the smoke-box, it will be perceived that it is caused to flow at definitely accelerated speed, and then immediately meets the louvre plates. Under such conditions a maximum momentum has been imparted to the cinders themselves that are small, solid lumps of carbon in incandescent condition; that relatively high momentum thus imparted to these cinders will not have spent itself, but will cause the cinders to be projected with substantially undiminished momentum against the surfaces of the louvre plates; and the fact that the cross-sectional area of the passageway is at this point somewhat increased has the advantageous effect of diminishing the pull of stream-flow upon the particles of carbon. Thus, maximum impact is effected. Impact has effect in the crushing of the cinders.the breaking of them up into small particles-and these small particles caught up by the stream that still flows at high speed are swept on through the passageway and out of the smoke-stack. However, in consequence of impact and crushing, the heat dissipation to which the incandescent carbon particles is subject is greatly increased, with the consequence and effeet that the condition of incandescence rapidly passes away; and these same particles, when at length they emerge from the smoke-stack, are no longer incandescent; and both because of their heat dissipation and relative smallness they are rendered innocuousthey no longer constitute a fire hazard. It is not necessary to repeat, but it sufiices to note, that the louvre plates with their double flanges cooperate more effectively to accomplish such breaking up of the cinder particles because they present double surfaces of impact; and it is practically impossible for any cinder of dangerous mass to pass entirely through the bank of louvre plates without fracturing impingement upon the upper surface of a forward flange or a nether surface of a rearward flangeforward and rearward here being used with respect to the locomotive structure itself, and not with respect to the stream flow, for with respect to stream flow the terms forward and rearward must be used in inverse sense, and have already so been used in this specification.

It remains only to say that the effective area of the divided passageway around the forward edges of the bifurcated plate 5 may be varied by providing at that point adjustable plates 50. These plates are separate from the plate 5 itself. They are provided with elongate slots, and through those elongate slots they are bolted to, the plate 5, as is clearly shown in Fig. I, being adjusted to the required position determinative of the effective area of the passageway and then secured by the bolts.

I have given actual dimensions of an actual installation; these are exemplary merely, and by no means limiting. The only limitation is the relative one: that the passageway shall be of minimum cross-sectional area at the turn of the stream, and that, in the direction of stream flow, the bank of louvre plates shall be situated immediately forward from that point of minimum cross-sectional area.

It may be that in particular installations the proportions will be such as to create a too intense rate of stream flow, and in such case openings may be made in the partition 5, and these openings may be protected by banks of louvre plates, as indicated at 1. Through these openings it will be perceived that a portion of the stream flow may be shunted along more direct course to the smoke-stack, and in this case also the louvre plates will serve, in the manner described, to break up cinders and eliminate fire hazard.

In further elaboration the injection nozzle 4 and lower end of smoke-stack 3 may be enclosed within a secondary louvre assembly. This secondary louvre assembly consists in rectangular cage 8, as shown in Fig. II, formed of four banks of louvre plates that extend vertically from the bottom wall of the smoke-box to the upper -horizontal plate (the plate ill of Fig. III) and arranged between the parallel walls of the bifurcated plate 5. Thus, in particular cases additional provision may be made against the discharge of incandescent cinders.

Fig. V illustrates that the louvre assembly, instead of being formed of angle-irons, may be made up of plates H and 12, secured at their opposite ends, say by welding, to supporting A do not find at any point in the bank of louvres a straightaway course of flow. Fig. VI illustrates still another arrangement of louvre plates. In this case too the louvre plates, BI and 82, are so arranged that on every line of flow the streaming gases are directed against a louvre-plate face; and each subdivision of the stream, deflected by one plate, is directed against the face of a succeeding plate.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a locomotive structure, a smoke-box, a smoke-stack and an injection nozzle arranged in vertical alignment in the top and bottom of the smoke-box and spaced intermediately in the longitudinal extent of the smoke-box, partition walls within the smoke-box defining a passageway for products of combustion from the rear to the front end of the smoke-box and thence rearwardly again to the smoke-stack, such passageway being of reduced cross-sectional area at the point where it turns rearwardly, and a bank of horizontally extendingcinder-crushing louvre plates arranged athwart the passageway immediately to rearward of such point of reduced cross-sectional area and beyond such point of reduced cross-sectional area, so far as concerns the direction of stream-flow, the lower edge of each superior louvre plate overlapping the upper edge of the next lower louvre plate, whereby cinders borne on the stream of products of combustion are caused when traveling at maximum speed to impinge upon the surfaces of the louvre plates and the broken particles are borne thence at diminished speed.

2. In a locomotive structure, a cylindrical, horizontally extending smoke-box structure, a smoke-stack and an injection nozzle arranged in vertical axial alignment in the top and bottom of the smoke-box and spaced rearwardly from the forward end of the smoke-box, a bifurcated, vertically extending partition arranged within the smoke-box and extending from the rear and on opposite sides of the axis of steam-nozzle and smoke-stack alignment in bifurcated form toward the forward end of the smoke-box and terminating short of the forward wall of the smoke-box, and afiording passageway for the stream of products of combustion forwardly from the rear in bifurcated course adjacent the side walls of the smoke-box to the forward end of said partition and then rearwardly in united course at the centre of the smoke-box toward the axis of steam-nozzle and smoke-stack alignment, and a bank of cinder-crushing louvre plates arranged athwart the passageway for the united and rearwardly flowing stream immediately within the forward edges of the bifurcated partition, the lower edge of each superior louvre plate overlapping the upper edge of the next lower louvre plate, the cross-sectional area of the passageway through the smoke-box being of minimum size between the forward edges of the bifurcated partition and the front wall of the smoke-box and of increasing size from such point rearwardly toward the whereby under the suction created in the smokestack cinders carried by the stream of products of combustion make impact under maximum momentum upon the louvre plates.

3. The structure of claim 1, the said partition being vertical in its extent and of bifurcated form and being additionally provided intermediate the extent of its bifurcations with openings, affording lay-passes from the rear end of the smoke-box to the smoke-stack, and a bank of louvre plates set in each such opening.

LE ROY THOMPSON.

smoke-stack, 

